They aren’t limited to businesses, either: a personal mission statement can empower you and help you hone your personal brand and goals.

So, what are the hallmarks of an impactful mission statement? Here are some of the best statements companies have developed and why they resonate.

What makes a good mission statement?

A mission statement should be concise, relevant to the ideals of the company, and visionary. It should explain the service you provide, why you provide it, how you stand out among the competition, and the impact you want to make.

Essentially, you want to explain the who, what, when, why, and how of your organization:

• Who you are and whom you serve

• What you deliver and what your purpose is

• Why your organization exists

• How you deliver your services

Twenty-Five Effective Mission Statements

1. Alibaba Group

Mission Statement: “To make it easy to do business anywhere.”

Why it resonates: This China-based e-commerce company emphasizes efficiency and global reach. Both of these qualities are obvious in its mission statement, which is concise and relevant.

Mission statement: “To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices.”

Why it resonates: As the most prominent e-commerce website in the world, Amazon is image-conscious and strives to live up to its global reputation. A customer can look at this statement and check off each goal Amazon’s mentions as true.

Mission statement: “To prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.”

Why it resonates: The emergency-response organization has two aims with this mission statement: to describe its purpose and motivate people to act. Deliberately including ways in which people can support the organization adds more power to the message, since there is an actual call to action.

Mission statement: “To help humanity thrive by enabling all teams to work together effortlessly.”

Why it resonates: Project management is all about teamwork, and Asana, the work-management app, has hammered that message home with its mission statement. Not only has it expressed how the software will help teams, but it also reaches more broadly by aiming to contribute to humanity.

Mission statement: “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful."

Google is so powerful that it’s perhaps the most widely used website on Earth. This simple, powerful mission statement succinctly defines its purpose, and users can see that the tech giant is certainly living up to that ideal.

Mission statement: “To improve the health and happiness of the world.”

Why it resonates: What does anyone really want beyond simply being happy? With this straightforward mission statement, the mindfulness app has summed up not just its own goal but the goal of all of humankind.

10. IdeaRocket

Mission statement: "To be the quality leader in the creation of animated videos for business purposes. We will create videos that communicate our clients’ messages with wit, interest and elegance, enriching the cultural air we breathe.”

Why it resonates: This mission statement focuses on the quality of the product rather than the price or other superficial features and directly defines the audience with whom it wants to connect. Idea Rocket also gets bonus points for creativity. Why not describe your dream with poetic language?

Mission statement: “To inspire humanity – both in the air and on the ground.”

Why it resonates: Rather than just describing the product, JetBlue captures a more global goal here—inspiration. Through its commitment to philanthropy, JetBlue demonstrates that it is more than just an airline.

Mission statement: “To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.”

Why it resonates: Microsoft provides solutions. Through this mission statement, the tech giant has not only summarized the products and services it provides but also extended the dream to its customer base, demonstrating that it values the goals of its clients, too.

Mission statement: "To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *If you have a body, you are an athlete."

Why it resonates: Nike’s mission statement brings a larger scale to its product, implying that everyone, from professional athletes to casual runners, will benefit from these sneakers. Furthermore, the mission statement reflects the company’s employment trends: Nike is committed to innovation and has proven that by hiring people with diverse skill sets.

Mission statement: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”

Why it resonates: Here is a true mission statement. Patagonia explains not only what it wants to do but also what it wants not to do along the way. It also goes far beyond the products it delivers—outdoor clothing—aiming to better the environment through its initiatives.

Mission statement: “To reinvent how people share knowledge, tell stories, and inspire their audiences to act.”

By embracing the idea that everything is a story waiting to be told, Prezi itself is connecting with its customer base through storytelling. As a presentation software company, Prezi is demonstrating that its goal is the same as its customers’: to motivate people through the art of the narrative.

Mission statement: “To be a company that inspires and fulfills your curiosity.”

Mission statement: As a creator of entertainment electronics, Sony wants to do more than just entertain. In this mission statement, it reveals how it perceives the whole concept of entertainment: as a means of probing one’s curiosity.

Why it resonates: Everyone is an innovator, and Squarespace created a platform to allow people to innovate. This mission statement powerfully captures the website builder’s goal and connects it to the customers.

Why it resonates: Here, sweetgreen emphasizes what it wants to do for the customer, rather than focusing on personal motivations. It names both small- and large-scale motivations, describing both the how—the food—and the why—to inspire healthier communities.

Mission statement: “To help people around the world plan and have the perfect trip.”

Why it resonates: Traveling is supposed to be a break from everyday life, but often, even the planning doesn’t go as planned. Through this straightforward and succinct mission statement, Trip Advisor identifies the problem—that travel can be stressful—and explains why it’s the solution—it takes the hassle away.

Mission statement: “To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers.”

Why it resonates: We think of social networks as a given, but it wasn’t so long ago that even Six Degrees, the first social networking platform, didn’t exist. Through this mission statement, Twitter captures the very idea of what it means to participate in social networking and the benefits it brings people. It also explains why the very concept is so powerful—it gives people a voice.

The Art of the Mission Statement

Whether you’re a corporation, a small business, or an individual, a mission statement is an important way to connect with your audience and yourself and a means of defining, narrowing, and expressing your short- and long-term goals. Ready to create a personal mission statement? Check out A Personal Mission Statement Is Your Best Networking Tool — Here's Why for advice.